Moose hunting starts in national parks

The moose hunt inside two national parks on the island of Newfoundland began on Tuesday.

Kevin Robinson of Terra Nova park said that although some rules have changed there are still restrictions in national parks that aren’t applied in other parts of the province.

"In the national parks, we don't allow the use of ATVs, snowmobiles, or motorboats on inland waters.  I guess it's the old fashioned way of carrying by hand," he said.

This year, 20 licences have been issued for Terra Nova and 382 in Gros Morne. Moose hunting was set to begin in Gros Morne and Terra Nova parks on Oct.11, because fewer tourists visit the parks after Thanksgiving.

The moose-hunting season in the parks is scheduled to end Jan. 8, 2012.

Earlier this year, Parks Canada said it was forced to allow hunting in the parks – which is forbidden in many other national parks - because moose are destroying habitats that other species need. Parks Canada tracked the health of its forests for years before making the decision.

Parks Canada said similar measures have successfully been taken involving deer in protected areas in Ontario and B.C.

The move is not a surprise. In its own literature distributed to park patrons in recent years, Parks Canada has warned of moose overpopulation and its effects on habitat.

In 2010, the Crown agency said a cull was in the works. As many as 150,000 moose have been estimated to live on the island of Newfoundland, with about 5,000 moose believed to be in Gros Morne park alone.